Fic: Stargazing
Title: Stargazing
Author: pinkhairedauror
Format & Word Count: Ficlet, 881 words
Rating: PG
Prompt: 12, Andromeda.
Warning: Soul-searching?
Summary: It is the evening before their wedding. Enjoying a rare peaceful night, Remus and Tonks end up... star-gazing. Or maybe, in a way, soul-gazing.
Author's Note: This is an attempt at the promised fluff!!
Ted Tonks had taken his daughter camping, time and again. And often, when the weather had been clear and sleep had elluded them both, they had enjoyed the glory of the stars, away from any artificial noise and light.
But never in her life had she felt closer to the world around her than tonight.
To-morrow, they would marry. Finally, a small voice in her head whispered, but she made it go away. It had taken as long as it had needed to; it was happening to-morrow, and she would do nothing to rob the day of even a whiff of its happiness.
To-night...
In the balmy summer night, they were on their backs in the grass (she kept reminding herself to keep her wand close, just in case, but they were in the middle of nowhere, and they would be, she knew, undisturbed), legs away from each other... head on each other's shoulder. Looking up at the beautiful, clear, open July night sky.
Stargazing.
Talking so quietly that probably one had to stumble over them before he could hear them.
Her arm was bent up, and she couldn't keep her fingers from caressing his face, carefully, lightly, tracing the familiar, drawn, beloved features.
Her hair was spread along his chest, and she could feel him playing with a lock, twining it among his fingers.
As he spoke, she could feel the faint rumble in his chest, as his husky, quiet words shaped in the air between them. "What is the first thing in the sky you look to?"
She didn't answer immediately, because she couldn't immediately decide which of the three was REALLY the first one, but then she raised her other hand and pointed. "There. I was independently taught to recognise it by dad and Coz. While I may look for the Polar star and the brightest star for getting my bearings, it's always Andromeda that I seek out, harder to notice as it is."
"Ah." He paused, and the pull on her hair became a trifle more... nervous. "I've made things harder between the two of you, haven't I." It wasn't even a question, but she shook her head lightly.
"No. We're just both of us too strong-willed to step back, even when it's something insignificant and petty. I understand... She loves me so much and she's worried, especially after me being upset for so long, but she'll come around."
"She has the right to blame me, you know."
"Oh tush. You did what you thought you needed to do, what you thought was right. She doesn't understand... no, she does understand how important it is to listen to your heart. She doesn't dislike you, you know. Even if she seems cool and detached, I've seen her around enough people to be able to tell."
"You don't have to try and make me feel better about it."
"Don't I? If I don't try... who will?"
He didn't answer, but his fingers slowed down a little.
"That's what tomorrow is about, too. It's not just you pledging yourself to protect me and try to ... well, be a husband. I'm pledging to be your wife too. And that means that I get to do my share of trying to make you feel better, whether you like it," she poked lightly at his cheek, "or no."
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then took a few moments before he spoke again. "You don't need to alter the facts to do that, though."
"I'm not. Try to look back at her just before you walk out of a room and catch the way she's looking at you. When she thinks you won't notice."
"... you actually do mean that, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"And even if she didn't like you; even if they both hated you, that would still be my choice."
"You have been spoiled, by the knowledge that they'll eventually come around and agree with you, do you know that?"
It was her turn to keep silent while she thought that over. "I guess I am. But..." She struggled for the words. "But if any of you are up against something serious, something that matters the world to you - you or mum or dad, to start with - you know that I'd come around and support you on those too."
"I... do know." His voice sounded mildly surprised and he fidgetted.
"That make you uncomfortable?"
"I'm... there have been very few people who've said that, and even fewer for whom I've been absolutely certain it would be truth." He paused, then his voice was... barely more than a whisper. "Thank you, Dora."
"With all my heart, Remus." She tilted her face closer to his just in time to feel his cheek crinkle with a smile. "For ever, and for always."
"For... yes."
They were quiet for a little bit, each contemplating what the other had said. Then... she couldn't resist.
"And you?"
"Me what?"
"What's the first thing you look for, in the sky?"
His breath puffed up lightly, as though he was laughing, and he pointed without hesitation. She laughed too, softly, after a startled instant.
"Oh yeah, that figures. D'you think he's... approving?"
"Of us? I've no idea. But I..."
"Yeah?"
"I hope so."
Author: pinkhairedauror
Format & Word Count: Ficlet, 881 words
Rating: PG
Prompt: 12, Andromeda.
Warning: Soul-searching?
Summary: It is the evening before their wedding. Enjoying a rare peaceful night, Remus and Tonks end up... star-gazing. Or maybe, in a way, soul-gazing.
Author's Note: This is an attempt at the promised fluff!!
Ted Tonks had taken his daughter camping, time and again. And often, when the weather had been clear and sleep had elluded them both, they had enjoyed the glory of the stars, away from any artificial noise and light.
But never in her life had she felt closer to the world around her than tonight.
To-morrow, they would marry. Finally, a small voice in her head whispered, but she made it go away. It had taken as long as it had needed to; it was happening to-morrow, and she would do nothing to rob the day of even a whiff of its happiness.
To-night...
In the balmy summer night, they were on their backs in the grass (she kept reminding herself to keep her wand close, just in case, but they were in the middle of nowhere, and they would be, she knew, undisturbed), legs away from each other... head on each other's shoulder. Looking up at the beautiful, clear, open July night sky.
Stargazing.
Talking so quietly that probably one had to stumble over them before he could hear them.
Her arm was bent up, and she couldn't keep her fingers from caressing his face, carefully, lightly, tracing the familiar, drawn, beloved features.
Her hair was spread along his chest, and she could feel him playing with a lock, twining it among his fingers.
As he spoke, she could feel the faint rumble in his chest, as his husky, quiet words shaped in the air between them. "What is the first thing in the sky you look to?"
She didn't answer immediately, because she couldn't immediately decide which of the three was REALLY the first one, but then she raised her other hand and pointed. "There. I was independently taught to recognise it by dad and Coz. While I may look for the Polar star and the brightest star for getting my bearings, it's always Andromeda that I seek out, harder to notice as it is."
"Ah." He paused, and the pull on her hair became a trifle more... nervous. "I've made things harder between the two of you, haven't I." It wasn't even a question, but she shook her head lightly.
"No. We're just both of us too strong-willed to step back, even when it's something insignificant and petty. I understand... She loves me so much and she's worried, especially after me being upset for so long, but she'll come around."
"She has the right to blame me, you know."
"Oh tush. You did what you thought you needed to do, what you thought was right. She doesn't understand... no, she does understand how important it is to listen to your heart. She doesn't dislike you, you know. Even if she seems cool and detached, I've seen her around enough people to be able to tell."
"You don't have to try and make me feel better about it."
"Don't I? If I don't try... who will?"
He didn't answer, but his fingers slowed down a little.
"That's what tomorrow is about, too. It's not just you pledging yourself to protect me and try to ... well, be a husband. I'm pledging to be your wife too. And that means that I get to do my share of trying to make you feel better, whether you like it," she poked lightly at his cheek, "or no."
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then took a few moments before he spoke again. "You don't need to alter the facts to do that, though."
"I'm not. Try to look back at her just before you walk out of a room and catch the way she's looking at you. When she thinks you won't notice."
"... you actually do mean that, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"And even if she didn't like you; even if they both hated you, that would still be my choice."
"You have been spoiled, by the knowledge that they'll eventually come around and agree with you, do you know that?"
It was her turn to keep silent while she thought that over. "I guess I am. But..." She struggled for the words. "But if any of you are up against something serious, something that matters the world to you - you or mum or dad, to start with - you know that I'd come around and support you on those too."
"I... do know." His voice sounded mildly surprised and he fidgetted.
"That make you uncomfortable?"
"I'm... there have been very few people who've said that, and even fewer for whom I've been absolutely certain it would be truth." He paused, then his voice was... barely more than a whisper. "Thank you, Dora."
"With all my heart, Remus." She tilted her face closer to his just in time to feel his cheek crinkle with a smile. "For ever, and for always."
"For... yes."
They were quiet for a little bit, each contemplating what the other had said. Then... she couldn't resist.
"And you?"
"Me what?"
"What's the first thing you look for, in the sky?"
His breath puffed up lightly, as though he was laughing, and he pointed without hesitation. She laughed too, softly, after a startled instant.
"Oh yeah, that figures. D'you think he's... approving?"
"Of us? I've no idea. But I..."
"Yeah?"
"I hope so."